Breast Cancer Awareness

Why the ongoing conversation about the disease matters 365 days a year—and why maintaining overall health and awareness reduces your risk.

Let’s be frank. Chances are you, a loved one, a colleague or a Facebook friend is facing Breast Cancer. Maybe you are on the other side, from treatment to recovery and survival. Maybe you are sad about family members, friends, or social media friends who die from illness. Undoubtedly, you’ll share a pink ribbon meme or nudge a friend to get her mammogram during October National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Screening saves lives

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer—other than skin cancer—in women across the country. It’s estimated that in 2017, 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, in addition to 63,410 new cases of non-invasive, or in situ, breast cancer.

“If you’re 40 or over and haven’t scheduled your annual mammogram, you fall into the ‘reality check’ category of women,” Dr. Mirabile says. “The simple screening test that most women dread really does help save thousands of lives every year—early detection is the best way to find breast cancer before it starts causing symptoms. We encourage our patients to get checked, without fail.”

Balancing act

One of the ways women can help reduce their risk of breast cancer is to maintain health and wellness at every stage of life, something that Mirabile M.D. focuses on with all patients, including well-woman care and weight management strategies.
“Because 75 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients have no family history, regular routine mammograms, self-breast exams and annual in-office physician exams are important,“ Mirabile says. “Early detection can lead to cure.”

What about hormone therapy?

With the reduction of hormonal balance, women experience many unpleasant and life-changing symptoms, including hot flashes, irritability, low libido, weight gain, lack of sleep and more. We use bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to safely and naturally balance hormones, improving a woman’s health and quality of life. In most cases, we provide patients predominantly with testosterone and a small amount of estrodial (estrogen),” Mirabile explains. “No synthetic hormones are used. BHRT patients’ labs are closely monitored to ensure their hormone level is balanced—no more, no less than their individual requirements.”
Mirabile, a nationally regarded expert in BHRT and medical director of SottoPelle®, a pellet-delivered BHRT, is known throughout the Kansas City region for his pioneering use of BHRT, which compounds a woman’s natural hormones to match what she once made on her own.